It's never too late
by William Power
Summary: Translation of: Nunca es demasiado tarde. Author: Ashrriel. When Phoenix realizes what he truly feels for Maya, she is about to leave for ever. Is too late to tell her what he feels... or is it?
1. Discovered feelings

The whip cracked with violence through the entire office.

"Foolishly, fool, that only makes foolish things" The voice of Franziska Von Karma could be heard from afar.

Buried in the couch, with the head buried in his hands, he didn't want, he couldn't listen to anything or anyone. The only thing that was on his mind was her, but doing so just make him sink into the darkness.

"You cannot just sit here forever!" From the shadows, the voice of Von Karma could be heard. He heard her utter some insults but he didn't pay any attention.

He couldn't face the truth… it was just too cruel to accept it. But if he closes his eyes, the only thing he could see, it was her, her smile, her face, her eyes full of happiness… _Why?_ He wondered _why now?_ The news strikes him pretty much as a shock.

Maya was going overseas, due to an offer she receive, thanks to her new title as Kurain master… during three years they work and lived together without him thinking that his feelings for her would get to be something much more than a simple friendship. He convinced himself that what he felt was the same thing you felt for your little sister. But with this news, his true feelings came to light and the weight of those was crushing him.

The room felt into a deep silence. He feels the glare of Von Karma even if he could not see it.

"Phoenix." She said with a comforting voice. He looked up in surprise. He wondered why she seemed to care. His mind was glad of that distraction from his hell.

"You… love her, don't you?" She whispered.

He looks to his feet with a knot in his throat. What was the point in keeping it a secret? Without her, it no longer matter.

"Does… it matter anymore?" He answered with a trembling voice. "What's the point?" He said to himself. "I'm just a…" He tried to come up with the proper words. "Fool. During those three years we been together I was unable to realize how much she meant to me. But now that she is going… I deserve this. If I only I have talked to her before… I was blind during those three years. I don't…"

Saying it out loud was too much for him. The pain returned with shocking pain.

He buried his head in his hands as he was fighting, without success to keep his pain.

The sound of the planes taking off could be heard from afar. For her it was something incredible. But after a few hours of waiting she seemed less impressed every time one of them gets lost in to the horizon. Something that her cousin still found amazing and she name it the 'the fly of the steel bird'.

Maya smiled as she remembered the look she had when they entered tha airport. Her cousin decided to go with her no matter the cost.

But in that very moment, it was not her cousin the one that was in front of her.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked her sister as she looked at her with a look between curiosity and worry.

Maya sighed and eyed her sister. Oddly enough, she seemed comfortable with Pearl's clothes. Her arms crossed and her head tilted, making some lock of hair cover her eye.

"We talk about this." Maya muttered looking away. "I made… the right choice."

Mia nodded slowly. "I see" She said to herself. A spark of understanding shined in her eyes.

"Listen, Maya… I need to ask you something. This decision… Has anything to do with Phoenix?" She remained quiet, waiting for her answer.

"N-Nick" Maya whispered. She breathed heavily but that didn't stop the weakness to take her over. She collapsed on her chair as she felt something get through her body, something that seemed like a spark.

"I should have seen it before." Mia sighed.

Maya looked up, ready to face her sister.

"I didn't know… the intensity of your feelings" She admitted. Then a half-smile appeared on her face. "It seems that Pearl was the only one that could notice and she is only a child."

Despite all this, Maya smiled. _Pearly_. She noticed since the beginning. The voice of her sister brought her back to reality.

"You don't have to do this for him" She pleaded. "You still can…"

"No" She cut her off. "He… well, I can't be with him anymore. It's just too hard to be with person you love and know that he doesn't feel the same. It's the best for him."

She opened her mouth to say something but she cut her off before she could say anything.

"No, do not insist. It's… too late." She struggled to say the last part.

_When?_ She wondered. When did she star seeing him as something more than a friend? At first she tried to fight that feeling. There were many obstacles in the middle, her training, tha age… But after the craziness that was the year that he saved her again of being found guilty and rescue her of a kidnapping, she could not deny it anymore, she loved him. However, it was clear that he didn't feel the same way.

"I'm okay." She said as her sister put her hand over her shoulder, before Mia could open her mouth. She arranged herself to be able to stare her at the eyes, in a challenging way.

"You don't have to keep that façade with me." She whispered, as she hugged her little sister.

Maya closed her eyes as she returned the hug to her sister with a knot in her throat.

"Everything gonna be fine." She said as her hand stroked her hair. And this time Maya didn't have the strength to reply.

For Phoenix, the sound of the clock was torture. Every passing second, less the remaining time she will spend in this country. One second less to lose her… forever.

"Enough!" Franziska yell. "She…"

"… Doesn't want to be with me" He cut her off with anger. He remembered with pain the note that she left. "I'm going overseas. My plane is taking off at 21:00 but I'm not going to pass to the office before I go. Nick, you have to understand… I have to go. You're better without me. It's for the best. Thanks for everything and… goodbye."

That note buried him in the despair.

"FOOOOOOOOOOL!" Franziska howled with such anger that manages to shock him. Why is she so angry? "Listen Phoenix Wright, if she truly is so important to you…"

"Important!?" He yelled "Of course she is important to me!" He stared at her with anger but his reaction didn't seem to scare her at all. "How is she not going to be important to me? ... But there's nothing I can do." He said breathless, trying to keep his tears. "Is too late" He finished with a trembling whisper.

Von Karma whip Phoenix, but with real anger. A few scarlet drops glistened from her whip before it touched the floor.

Phoenix blinked in confusion. His mind didn't seem to realize what just happened. Confused, he looked at Von Karma, she looked at him with such anger that his hands were trembling.

"Franziska." He mumbled "What?"

"Listen" She said with her disciplinary voice. Her eyes were shining, but Phoenix was unable to tell what emotion they had, anger? , Fear? , Hate? , Determination? , Or all of them?

"Since we met I always believe you were a fool with mere luck, but then I couldn't realize why I was unable to crush you in a case with my perfect logic." She hesitated. "I believe… that it was because you were different that the other lawyers. It didn't matter how hard I punch you, you always end up getting up, and I never saw you giving up, not even when I was about to win… You never give up; Phoenix Wright. But now" She stopped.

"How could you?!" She yelled again. "How can you give up now?! How can this be the one time in which you just decide to lose? How can you just stay here doing nothing while she leaves? Listen, fool, if she really s important to you, then, fight for her! Don't give up, or else you lose her."

… _Don't give up, or else you lose her._ Her Voice resounded in his head. Slowly, his mind started to work: Is that what he wanted? Lose her forever? _If you don't fight…_ He clenched his fist. The voice of Von Karma resounded over and over in his head… _Fight for her._

The truth punched him in the face so hard. How could he be so blind? Maya was about to leave. And he was not going to do anything?! Electricity gets through his body and he get up.

_I'm not going to let it happen! I can't!_

Von Karma watched with interest the impact that her words had on him.

"Well, Phoenix Wright?" She asked. "Are you going to stay or you're going to the airport?"

"Come on" He nodded with determination before he ran to the street. However a shadow of doubt appeared before his eyes when he watched his clock. He only had 30 minutes before she leaves.

"Don't worry" She smiled, showing off her usual smile of triumph. "Never is too late."

"I don't know if a taxi can get us in time." He said quietly as he gets down the stairs.

"Oh come on." She sighed. "I am a Von Karma, remember?"

"Ok and so…" she tried to resonate with him. The sunlight blinded him for a moment, which mean that they were outside, making him shield his eyes. When he opened he just gets stunned.

Miles Edgeworth was sitting y the seat of his dazzling BMW, with one hand holding the leather flywheel.

"Well, Wright," He smiled and shook his head. "Don't just stand there like an idiot."

Phoenix opened his mouth to reply, but he closed it immediately when he realized that he ran out of words. He turned to his best friend, really confused.

"I don't like to lose the time." He pointed out. "So get on. Today I'm going to be your driver."

Phoenix became confused to Von Karma which was looking at him with her hands on her waist.

"Don't tell me that you forget it?" She questioned him with a smile of superiority. "Von karma's are perfect."

The engine of the car roared with a deafening bang as it was flying over the road, zigzagging to evade crashing with the other cars.

This could have terrified Phoenix in any other circumstance, but at that very moment he didn't seem to care about the excessive speed nor the way his best friend was driving.

Franziska was sitting to his side, arms crossed, with her face saying 'Everything-is-going-to-be-perfect'.

"Why are you doing this?" Phoenix yell to make her heard him over the sound of the engine. "Why are you helping?"

"I'm going to be honest, I'm not doing this for you" She answered without looking to him. "Do you really believe that I would help you, Phoenix Wright?"

"But you're doing it." He pointed out, confused. She snorted like that was a joke.

"Look, I believe you deserve being tortured and suffer." She said. "But… WATCH OUUUUUUUUT!" She yelled her eyes widened as she saw that they were about to crash against a truck.

Edgeworth let out a swear and with a fast movement of his hands, he made a sudden switch making the car to skid out of the road before making the spin on itself and going back to the road.

Phoenix was conscious that he forgot to breathe and that his hands were tense against the seats. As soon as he manage to breathe again he turned to see both prosecutors but none of them seem to be about to pass out like him. He turned around to see Von Karma frowning. _What was she about to say?_

"You seem to be about to puke, Phoenix Wright" She happily pointed out. "You just turned green."

"Yeah, well…" he cut her off."You still haven't answered my question."

"Do I have to explain everything to you?!" She rolled her eyes as if the answer was obvious. "I do it… because I don't believe she deserves to suffer because of you."

He blinked, shock his head. He had to hear something wrong, he tell himself. Von Karma only cares about herself… It really turns out that she has feelings? He remembered something Maya said about Franziska. "You know, Nick. I think she and I could be friends."Most important. What did she meant by that last phrase? What if Maya…

"Oh, no…" He heard Edgeworth, which has just paled. Phoenix looked to the corner of his eye that they were too close of a few cars before the sudden break made him crash against the front seat.

"Ghaaaaaah! Ten minutes left!" Phoenix yelled, horrified by the sight in front of him.

Lots of cars that extended trough the winding road and continue further were they could see. With a roar of rage he punched the back seat.

"Would you remain quiet, Wright?!" Edgeworth groaned, turning too violently to Phoenix with a tone of worry in his voice, but when Phoenix could not tell if he was worried for the cars or his seats.

"We don't have time!" Phoenix yelled burying his head on his hands."Were going to spend hours here, just trying to cross!" He clenched his fist with such strength that his nails clawed his hands. Maya was going to leave… because of him.


	2. Confessions

"Edgeworth." Phoenix asked. "There's no other way we could go?"

"No." He shook his head. "There isn't; only this way."

"Ghaaaargh!" Phoenix roared trying to compose himself to not punch the window.

"And you can't call her?" Edgeworth pointed out raising his eyebrow.

Von Karma started before Phoenix could.

"No, were out of range." She muttered distracted while she tried to find something in her pocket, something that she was already doing before.

"Well…" Edgeworth said, he already ran out of ideas. "We could delay the fly or something?"

"And how are you going to do that?!" Phoenix snorted. "Unless prosecutor had over the air traffic…"

"I was just trying to find a solution." His friend said raising his voice. "You're the one who want to catch that plane. Not me!"

Phoenix knew he was right, but he was too angry and worried to confess it. Besides, he needed to vent his frustration over someone.

"I didn't ask for your help, Edgeworth!"

His face crumpled. He was not going to recognize that he's worried for him so he decided to tell just a part of the truth.

"Look, Wright!" He yelled turning to him. "Neither would I have helped you, if not for that…" He stopped his mouth in time. "… Franziska!"

Phoenix opened his mouth to reply to Edgeworth, he was glaring at him with the eyes half-opened, when suddenly the yell of joy from Von Karma made them come back to reality.

"Yes!" She yelled as she pumped her fist in the air in gesture of victory. "I got it!"

Both of them keep staring surprised at her. Phoenix saw that she had a device in her hand and said to himself that that was what she was looking for. He frowned because he had the feeling that he saw that device before but couldn't put his finger on it. Then, the device started to ring as she was pressing some buttons. Then he remembered. The Nickel Samurai case! Phoenix looked surprised. _Why did she want that?_

"Franziska." He mumbled. "You're not going to call him, right?"

A wild smile appeared in her face as she ordered to the device out loud.

"Scruffy. It is time."

Phoenix soul dropped to the ground. _Him!_ The only detective capable of screw everything up one thousand times or to let himself be tricked by everyone or being unable to spot the evidence even when is in front of him.

_How is he going to help?_ She seemed to have read his mind as she shrugged and said:

"I know he is an idiot. But that idiot can be useful once in a while."

He snorted in skepticism. Although he appreciated, if there's something he learned in all the trials he had it was that _he_ could not hit the right. The siren of a police car made him turn around before he discovered, in horror, who was the driver in that car.

"Yeaaaaaaah, pal!" Dick Gumshoe yelled whistling to everyone. He seemed like a kid in a candy store.

At first, Phoenix didn't get what he was trying to do but Edgeworth turned the car so suddenly the almost get's ejected out of the car.

He understood what was going on: Gumshoe was cleaning the road for them.

"But… Isn't this illegal?" He asked.

"Hmmp!" She grumbled. "You want to catch the plane or not?"

Phoenix looked at the detective; he was driving like a maniac making the car wobble dangerously. Every two seconds he honk, which united with the sirens and the yells he shots every time someone doesn't get out of the way in time was making all the people in the cars to flee, which make easier to get through the road.

"Sorry, pal!" He heard Gumshoe yell because he just made someone fall from his motorcycle. "But we have to catch a plaaaaaaaaaaaaane!"

Phoenix didn't know if he had to laugh or cry. He looked at his watch and he paled. _Five minutes?_

"We don't have too much time" He yelled. "We can't go faster?"

"No." She answered. "It wouldn't be safe. If that detective goes faster…"

In that very moment the airport appeared in front of them and his heart seemed to have stopped.

"Yeeeeeeees!" Gumshoe yelled in joy. "We did it! Hurray!"

Phoenix smiled in his direction o at least he started before it gets frozen in his lips.

CRASH! Sounds the car as it crashed against a big-highly visible lamppost.

Although the sound was very strong, the car just hit left side, destroying the door in that side and leaving dents and scratches all over the back side.

Edgeworth and Phoenix become worried to where it was the car.

"Keep going!" She ordered as she saw Edgeworth gesture to get out of the car. "He is fine!"

They watched with relief as they see Gumshoe get out of the car without any visible harm and he was gesturing them to continue.

"Don't stop!" He yelled as he put both of his hand to the sides of his mouth. "I'm fine!"

Edgeworth pressed the gas and Phoenix jumped out, but without getting on his feet, he tensed as he saw how they were reaching the entrance of the airport. He gulped. The moment of the truth has come. Edgeworth brake, leaving the car in front of the entrance. Before Edgeworth or even Franziska could do anything, Phoenix already jumped out of the car and started running inside as if his life depend on it. When he was inside he looked everywhere in desperation y he put his eyes on the foreground of the airport, spotting immediately the runway where it was the plane that Maya was supposed to take.

He continued, trying to evade the crowd. _Maya_ he thought. _I'm not going to lose you. I can't lose you._ He started to discern from afar.

Maya felt really bad. She could not believe it was the moment to leave. The flight attendant looked at her with her hand stretched out to take her ticket. Maya looked at her sister and she had arms crossed. _Goodbye, Nick. _She thought. _I love you._ Before she could give her ticket to the attendant…

"MAYA!" She froze, with her hand tense over her ticket. Her heart was beating with so much strength that it seemed that it could come out of her chest. She could recognize that voice anywhere. Trembling, she slowly turned to the source of that voice, scared of what she was about to find out.

He was there. Handsome as ever, with his elegant blue suit in which his badge shined. His seemed to be breathing heavily, like if he just came out of a race. But she could only look at his eyes; they had their usual smile, those she respected since they met. That small part of her brain that still worked fine tells her that the entire airport was watching them, and she fight to recover her senses, without success. Both her knee were trembling as she contemplated the man she loves walking towards her.

However, for Phoenix all his determination y reasoning seemed to go away as they looked each other in the eyes. His mind goes blank as he contemplated her, breathless. She was wearing her favorite kimono, a cloth purple and white across her chest leaving her legs uncovered. _She's so beautiful_. He told to himself. _And I haven't realized until now. _Or did he? After all, didn't he run to the train station to catch her? Or try to cross a burning bridge… for her?

"Maya…" He tried to say but his tongue gets stunned, refusing to talk. She gave him a weird look, making his stunning and stress to raise. He seemed to be unable to think straight… then, a voice sounded in his head. _Tell her, Phoenix! If you don't do it now she is going to leave! Speak about your feelings! _The voice sounded like it was very distant. He gulped y breath. _There's no going back._

"Maya… don't leave" He said. "Please, don't leave." She seemed to try to talk, but neither could she. "I know you have responsibilities, but you can't leave." Everything he felt for her was yearning for liberty and he could not stop that his most deep feelings escaped. "You can't leave… I need you by my side, I can't live without you. I wanted to let you know that you're the most important person in my life and the reason I get up in the mornings. During these three years that we spend together I never got the courage to tell you how important you are for me." He continues passionately. "You're the person I want to spend the rest of my life. You're… wonderful, the best thing that happened in my life. I… I love you Maya Fey."

"… Nick." She muttered in a low whisper. She dreamed so many times with this very moment that she didn't know what to do. They stare at each other for a while before she threw her around him with a sob.

"Nick! Nick!" She repeated as she buried her head in his chest. "I love you too." He hugged her with strength, blinking to keep the tears.

"Excuse me." The voice of the flight attendant broke the magical moment that they were living. "Your ticket…?"

"I'm not going to take that plane." She sighed with a smile. "I'm staying here." She raised her head to look at him at the eyes. Phoenix carefully moved aside a lock of hair from her face and with delicacy took her face between his hands to move her closer. They kissed with passion, with a kiss that told all their feelings, everything the words cannot express. They stared at each other for a long time when they broke apart, trying to recover the breath.

"Wow…" She manages to say as she touched her lips with her left hand, a common gesture of hers.

"Thank you, for staying." He whispered as he hugged her.

"I couldn't let you behind." She admitted warmly.

"Maya… this is not going to be easy, you now?" He tried to say.

"I don't care." She shook her head violently "Nor the age nor-"

"… You're village?" He finished. "You're clan… they need you… they need the master."

She hesitated before she answered.

"Well… it's not like they need me there all the time. Of course it would take years." She pointed at her talisman that dangled from her neck. "And gave it to Pearly. After all, she has more power than me. But I'm not sure, we should wait more time." She showed worry.

"You're going to give up your position… for me?" He asked.

"For you… I would give up anything…" She said as she puts her hand on his cheek. "Anything to be with you…"

"Maya…" He said breathless. He put his arms around her waist and pulls her closer in a kiss as she put her arms around his neck, giving herself to the kiss.

When they broke apart, Maya looked over Phoenix's shoulder and said. "Thank you!", still hugging him.

Phoenix turned to see Franziska Von karma which replies with a smile and Miles Edgeworth, he made a gesture with his hand that said "You're welcome."

Suddenly something (someone) small tackles them in such a speed that almost made them fall.

"Yes! I knew it!" Pearl yells as she jumps around them. "Mr. Nick _is_ Mystic Maya special someone! They were made for each other!"

The aforesaid started to laugh seeing how the little girl (With happiest expression she ever had.) was clapping and yelling over and over:

"Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick! Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick!"

With glimmer on her eyes she jumped forward in the prosecutor's direction and she gave them a smile.

"You both helped Mr. Nick and Mystic Maya?" She asked.

"Well…"Edgeworth said after look trough Von Karma but Pearl jumped forward to give him a clumsy hug as she yells.

"Thanks, Mr.! Thank you so much for helping them!"

"Humph!" Edgworth muttered in surprise, he didn't know what to do. And kind of amazed, he decided to clap her back.

Then Pearl turned to Von Karma, as she was looking with amusement the face of Edgeworth and said:

"You helped too?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well…" She tried to say, but Pearl didn't wait and gave her a hug.

"Thanks! Now I can forgive for being so mean to Mystic Maya the last year!"

Von Karma let out a laugh and strokes her head.

When Pearl broke apart of them, she winked and commented:

"Both of you would make a nice couple too, jijiji."

"Ghaaaargh" Both prosecutors yelled stepping back as they put an expression of pain.

"Mystic Maya Mr. Nick" She yelled again. "I'm so happy!"

She was interrupted as they all see the person that just arrived.

"Oh, Scruffy! I'm glad to see you again" She said.

"eh…" He said scratching his head. "Me too…"

"Detective, you don't look so well." Maya commented.

"Oh, well he just crashed the car." Phoenix replied in a casual tone. "No, no, no! He is fine" He rushed to said as he saw her expression of horror. "But, we can´t say the same thing for the car. "

"But he can drive one?" She asked.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." They heard him complain. "If I have to pay the car from my salary I'm not going to be able to buy noodles from the store anymore-"

"I'm sorry, detective." Maya said, still hugging Phoenix.

"Ow, It's okay, pal, the only thing that matters it's that the both of you are together, jujuju."

"Okay!" Edgeworth said after clearing his throat. "Who wants to dinner? I'd pay" He stated.

"Sir, can we go to 'Tres Bien'!" He said, really excited.

"Nooooooo!" The four of them said at the same time.

"Detective." Edgeworth said socking his head. "The food they serve is outrageous and were not going just for Maggey Byrde."

"Wooops." Gumshoe muttered, getting depressed again.

"No problem, Scruffy." Pearl said with a smile. "You can go to visit her other day."

Phoenix turned to see Maya and he get stunned as he saw a tear in her cheek.

"Maya… what…?" He asked in confusion.

"I'm okay, Nick" She said with a smile. "It's just that I'm so happy…" She whispered as she puts a hand in his face. Her fingers stopped as she felt a cut in his cheek.

"It's nothing" He said before she asked. "It's from before we went here."

Maya smiled, and she put her arms around his neck as she murmured.

"Someday, you will have to tell me…"

"Maya…" He said as he hugged her. "I love you." And they kissed.


End file.
